ROUTE LAUNCH


Virgin ‘reliant on trade selling new Tampa service’


V


irgin Atlantic will need to be “mindful and observant” of how the cost-of-living crisis


develops, according to its chief commercial officer. Speaking on the inaugural flight,


operated by the carrier’s new Airbus A330neo aircraft, Juha Jarvinen said the airline had not yet seen a slowdown in sales but “realistically there will be some impact in 2023”, which is why it has scaled back some of its US services. Jarvinen has been encouraged


by early load factors on the new route, which was announced in July, with capacity above 50% for December and above 70% for spring


‘Tampa will appeal to business and leisure travellers’


Virgin Atlantic added Tampa to its network because it is confident the destination can appeal to leisure and business travellers. The carrier hopes the Florida


city’s beaches and nearby theme parks will attract holidaymakers, while its growing reputation as a corporate hub will see it perform well in the business market. Virgin Atlantic chief


executive Shai Weiss said: “The beaches make Tampa a very good destination for our leisure


2023, as well as by its “impressive” performance in the US market. “What’s exciting for us is that


close to 40% of sales [on the Tampa link] are from the US, which is more than 10% higher than the share for our Miami service, showcasing the importance of the US origin,” he said. The year-round service will


initially operate four times a week before increasing to daily on November 28, which Jarvinen said “demonstrates our confidence”. Virgin Atlantic becomes the


only carrier to connect Heathrow with Tampa, with British Airways’ service to the Florida city operating from Gatwick, giving the airline a “unique advantage”.


Juha Jarvinen


Sir Richard Branson and Shai Weiss (behind), with crew at Tampa airport


NEWS Virgin Atlantic inaugural: Carrier starts Heathrow-Tampa link. Robin Murray reports from Florida


He went on to say the carrier is


“heavily dependent” on the trade to generate sales to Tampa, adding that he expected healthy sales from the Mice market because the city is an “attractive conference location”. “The trade is very important in


selling Tampa for us, as it is with any new route,” he said. “Virgin Atlantic Holidays will


actively sell Tampa, but we are heavily dependent on the trade generating sales as well.”


Virgin Atlantic’s summer 2023


schedule will have about 20% more capacity than summer 2022, an uplift Jarvinen welcomed, but he noted: “There is of course a risk around the cost-of-living crisis, which is why we’ve decided to adjust some of our 2023 schedule.” The carrier is currently working


on its winter 2023-24 schedule, said Jarvinen, revealing there will be some “exciting news” about the programme in the coming weeks.


Virgin to improve connectivity across group in bid to ‘boost customer loyalty’


Virgin is looking to increase connectivity across its network to make it easier for people to combine different products the company offers on a single trip. Speaking at a press conference marking the launch of the Tampa route,


passengers, but it’s not just known for leisure. “This is one of the fastest-


growing metropolitan areas in the US and more than 100 businesses in the Tampa area are operated by UK-originated organisations.” Juha Jarvinen added Tampa


is a “nice city to spend a few days in” and is also the “perfect access point to northern Florida”. “Tampa is a very attractive place


for corporations because of the tax regime and weather,” he said.


Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson said this was something the company “should have done years ago”. “When our third Virgin Voyages ship comes into service, we’ll be


operating 100 different routes including Australia, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, and we are now tying everything together through Virgin Red, our frequent-flyer programme,” he said. “That’s something I suspect we should have done years ago because we’ve


got all these different companies at Virgin. We’re going to be doing a lot more of that.” Chief executive Shai Weiss said providing connectivity across the Virgin


network was “very much” part of the firm’s approach. He said: “What we’ve found over the years is the more Virgin products


an individual purchases, the greater the loyalty, as it should be. We are very much a co-operation with our partner Virgin companies. That’s part of the approach, to make sure we can provide connectivity across the network.”


travelweekly.co.uk 10 NOVEMBER 2022 13


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64